Half Of Something Whole
by feeling brave
Summary: This started out as a drabble after I got to thinking about how much being bonded affects 'bots, but the mechs stepped in and took over, so it became a "day in the life" thing from Jazz', Prowl's, Sideswipe's, Mirage's and now Ratchet's P.O.V.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: the characters aren't mine, I'm just playing with them.

Author's note: okay, it's been a while and I am sorry, both my wonderful beta Daebereth and I have been ridiculously busy for the last few weeks. I started this over on Lj, so a few of you may have seen this part already, but I wanted to add a second part and despite my best efforts I couldn't get Lj to work properly so it's ended up here instead.

I started this because I wanted to have a real look at what being bonded actually meant, and my Jazz muse took it from there. It's set on Earth just to make it easier for me, although I had no specific time frame in mind. Enjoy.

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**Half of Something Whole**

The whole crew of the Ark knows that I'm not a morning 'bot, if needs must I can be awake and ready for action in a spark-pulse but given the choice, I'd rather be up late than early, not that I get it often.

The radio alarm that Bluestreak gave me for Christmas has been playing for about twenty minutes, I love waking up to music and hearing it played out loud, internal radios are great, and they stop me from driving Prowl crazy, but in my opinion music should be a complete experience, you should be able to feel the vibrations that it causes, as well as hear it.

"_Come on, sleepy head, you're on-shift in an hour," _Prowl reminds me through our bond, some would call it nagging but the truth is time gets away from me if I'm left to my own devices, I get caught up in things and forget that I'm supposed to be doing something else.

"_Mornin' lover," _I reply lazily as I haul my aft off our berth and head for the wash rack, _"Have you had your ration yet?" _I ask as the cleaning fluids get to work. If there's one thing you can count on, it's that Prowl will forget to refuel at least once a week, drives Ratchet insane that such an organised mech can just lose track of such simple things, but that's Prowl, and I for one wouldn't have him any other way.

He doesn't answer verbally, it's more of a glance into a memory, a few flashes of the time when our fabulously tactless C.M.O. lost his patience with both my bonded and Sideswipe, I never did find out what Sides did to Ratchet, but with those two I'm not sure I want to. As punishment Sideswipe spent a week making sure that Prowl got his energon, enough recharge and down time.

Looking back on it, that week was as funny as the mission where Sunny got caught in an explosion in a paint factory, but like that event at the time we were lucky that no one got hurt. Don't get me wrong, Sides is a great mech, he's got a spark of gold but the sense of humour of a youngling and no awareness of the idea of personal boundaries.

My thought is that it's a side effect of being a twin, and so bonded from the moment of his creation, he's known where Sunny is, what he's doing and all the rest of it since the day he was sparked, but this does mean that when he's asked to keep track of someone else, he can become a little obsessive.

"_Thirty minutes love,"_ Frag, see what I mean about getting caught up, fortunately I only need to get dried off before I head out to see what the rest of the crew is up to, actually I don't need to go out to do that, the Ark has a hub, just like the cities used to in Cybertron and it doesn't take much to find out anything, so long as you know where to look.

I call into the rec room to grab our rations, say "hi" to the few 'bots that are there and within minutes I'm in Prowls office, "Hey there," I say softly as I hand him his energon.

He looks up from his mountain of datapads and I can't help dropping a kiss onto those smooth lips of his, the bond flickers with love as he responds, the tight hold he keeps on his emotions doesn't apply to our bond, I am the only 'bot that knows what he's feeling all the time and I treasure that knowledge as if it was a gift from Primus himself.

For a while we talk, bouncing ideas, plans and suggestions off each other, it sounds boring but it's actually a nice way to start the day and we've made time to do it for as long as we've been together, contrary to popular belief I don't distract Prowl, unless it suits me to do so, I help him all I can with his work-load, it's helpful to him to have a second set of optics go over things for him and as he and I think very differently, I'm a good 'bot for him to use.

All to soon, it's time for me to be on my way, I give him another kiss and leave. The moment I'm out of the door I tune back into the hub, listening to the chatter of the mech that are already out on patrol, Bluestreak and Hound seem to have slipped into Nature Documentary mode, which is always funny and drives Red Alert nuts.

"_Communications is in the opposite direction Jazz,"_ Prowl informs me with just a hint of a smile in his voice.

"_Thanks," _I reply, damn, I'm getting sidetracked far too easily today.

Four hours later I leave Comms, it's been quiet today, I've spent most of my shift listening to music with Blaster, and learning about Cacti courtesy of Hound, good times, and next stop is the rec room to meet up with the twins before we go out on patrol, most mechs meet at the entrance but Sunstreaker doesn't like standing around outdoors if he can possibly help it, all mechs have quirks but Sunny seems to have more than most.

"Hey Jazz," Bluestreak greets me, "I switched with Sides so I can spend some time with Sunny, I haven't seen much of him recently and Prowl said it was okay so long as you cleared it," he rattles off at about a million miles an hour.

"_Sorry,"_ Prowl chimes in.

"_No you're not,"_ Prowl maybe a stickler for the rules, but that all tends to go to hell when Blue is involved, we both know that he's grown up now but we'll still bend over backwards for him, _"Why don't you join us? It'd do you good to get out of the office for a while."_

I can feel him thinking about it, weighing up how much work he has to do against the chance to spend sometime with Blue and I, _"It's a great day out there," _I say persuasively.

"_Let me clear it with Prime."_

Five minutes later and the four of us are on the road, Sunny and Blue racing up-front, while Prowl and I follow them at a more leisurely pace. We've been on Earth for nearly six months now and this is only the third time we've been out just to patrol together, we both hear Bluestreak laughing and can't help feeling happy for him.

Thinking about it, I reckon that leaving Cybertron was just about the best thing for lil'Blue, there were too many ghosts on that planet for him, too many bad memories, and he's so much happier here, the same could be said for nearly all of us really.

After about an hour we leave the highway behind us, travelling the back roads towards the mountains, Sunny's grumbling that his alt-mode isn't built for this kind of terrain but no one really pays him much attention, Porsches and Datsuns aren't made for this either, but do you hear any of us complaining? No.

Aside from Sunny, it's pretty peaceful, the birds are singing, the wind shakes the trees and that's about it for another hour, until I catch a blip on my scanners.

"I hate to break up the r'n'r but we got company," I tell the others.

"What would 'Cons be doing out here?" Sunstreaker asks.

"Training exercise?" Prowl suggests, but he seems confused too, there really isn't much up this way to catch Megatrons interest.

"We'd better check it out anyway," I say reluctantly.

About a mile out Prowl and I decide that it'd be better for me to go the rest of the way alone, Sunny doesn't do stealth, Blue talks too much and while Prowl can be pretty graceful when he wants to be he's not really a woods-mech.

I transform and move through the trees quickly, through the bond I can feel Prowls worry and just a hint of appreciation for my skills, or maybe he's looking at my aft, it's hard to tell sometimes.

A few hundred yards later my comm-link goes dead, now there are exactly two mechs on this planet who can block my comms and I happen to know that one of them is back at the Ark listening to an album be borrowed off me yesterday, so Soundwave is in the area, wonderful.

Fortunately Prowl and I don't need comms so I relay what I know to him and carry on with him warning me to be careful. Eventually I catch a glimpse of the 'Cons through the trees.

"_What can you see?"_ Prowl asks and I know he's concerned by the spike of anxiety that shot though the bond when I realised who I was seeing.

"_Constucticons, and Soundwave,"_ I report.

"_An unusual mix,"_ Prowl muses, _"Can you see what they're doing?"_

"_Not at this distance." _

He doesn't need to tell me to be careful again, I can feel his worry but our bond also conveys the confidence that he has in me, he knows that if anyone can get round Soundwave it's me.

The next steps I take feel more like dancing than walking, and I find myself smiling, I've always enjoyed challenges.

"_Having fun love?" _Prowl asks.

"_You know I am,"_ I reply, _"Looks to me like they're building something, can't see what though, might be best to call the Ark."_

"_Done,"_ he confirms.

With a little concentration I can show him what I'm seeing, the seven 'cons crowding around something small by our standards and boxy looking, _"Analysis?"_ I ask.

"_No idea," _he admits,_ "I'm sending the file back to Grapple and Wheeljack."_

I'm about to respond when another blip on my scanners catches my attention, it's small and of no threat to me but it is moving toward the others, _"One of the cassettes is headed your way, moving too fast for Rumble or Frenzy, gotta be either Ravage or one of the hawks," _I report quickly.

"_Copy that,"_ he's not scared, but he is a realist and there's no hiding the fact that we're out numbered.

"_Tactical?" _I ask and this is where Prowl comes into his own, anyone who says he's cold will have me to answer to but he is calculating to the point where no one match him, not Optimus and certainly not Megatron.

"_E.T.A. for re-enforcement is twenty minutes but I doubt they will arrive undetected, if we can prevent the Constructicons merge into Devastator our chances of success will be greatly improved,"_ this may sound simple but it's not all I get from him, with the verbal instructions comes a data-stream full of advice, simulations and probabilities that his battle computer has come up with.

"_That's a roger,"_ I agree.

"_You'll need someone to cover you, Bluestreak has been briefed and is on his way."_

I'm moving again before he finishes what he has to say, Blue'll know what to do but I need to be in position and by a lucky break Mix-master has separated off form the others, if my luck holds I can take him out before an of the others realise what has hit them.

By the time Blue arrives I'm ready and so is Prowl, I can feel him coiled up in my processor, reactions on a hairpin, and focused on my scanners and C.P.U., this is one of the bonuses to being bonded, it means I don't have to divide my attention because Prowl is watching my back for me.

All have to do is land one of the concussion grenades Wheeljack made for me close enough to Mix-master to knock him off-line, sounds easy, huh? Well it would be if the sparkling of a blender wasn't part of a gestalt team, which from what I understand is similar to a bond but not quite the same, 'Jack tried to explain it to me once but I'm no scientist and most of it went over my head, kinda wish I'd listened harder now though.

Yes! Got him, one down and a whole mess to go. Bluestreak starts shooting to distract them and I high-tail it outta there, it's seems like no time at all goes by before I hear the sound of engines rumbling in the distance, and there's no mistaking that noise, it's Skyfire, and our help is here.

In less than a minute everything has changed, Prime is calling order's, Sideswipe is ignoring them, Ironhide is charging in and Ratchet is cursing, yep, the Autobots have arrived and from here on in things should be much easier.

"_Down,"_ Prowl calls over our bond and I don't think or hesitate before I obey, the shot that would have hit me in the back hits a tree instead, but unfortunately there's no time to worry about any poor critters that may have been living in it now, _"Spin left one hundred and forty two degrees and fire,"_ Prowl instructs, my shot takes down Soundwave and, joy, we have Comms.

The rest of the fight goes by in a blur for me, everything is move, dodge, block, counter, take the shot, and it may sound odd but it's easier not to think about what I'm doing.

It's all going well until Prowls consciousness is yanked out of mine so hard that it hurts, in a split-second a data-stream from him tells me that he and Sunny (who were moving to join the rest of us since we don't need a relay to the Ark anymore) have been found by Seekers, it seems that Laserbeak did see them and informed Starscream.

Optimus must have received the same message, he looks at me and nods, that's all I need before I start issuing orders of my own, calling for Ratchet and Bluestreak to follow me, Sideswipe joins us without invitation, but I know from the murderous look on his face that he's worried about Sunstreaker, and this is not the time to send him back.

We don't have far to go, and I can't help feeling that if Prowl hadn't been so focused on me this wouldn't have happened but there's no time for self-recrimination now, my love needs me and I can't let him down.

Sideswipe goes in first, lands all over Skywarp and frees up Sunstreaker to do some serious damage to Thundercracker, while I help Prowl with Screamer, and Blue lays down some cover-fire.

The fight doesn't last long, the Seekers are out numbered and they know it, so they quickly fall back.

I don't watch them leave, I wrap my arms around Prowl so that he can take his weight off the leg that I know is hurting him and steal a kiss while Ratch seals up a few leaking fuel and coolant lines.

"I'm fine Jazz," he reassures me once he gets the chance.

"I know, but that doesn't mean I won't worry," I tell him adding in another gentle kiss for good measure, "C'mon let's get you to Skyfire."

Ratchet takes him from my care as we rejoin the others and I wander over to where Wheeljack is bending over whatever it is that the 'Cons were building, "Was it worth it?" I ask him.

"I'd say so," 'Jack answers, "The explosive capabilities of this device would have been devastating if it had been detonated."

That makes me feel better, we beat the bad guys, took Megatrons latest toy away from him, and made the world a safer place, not too shabby for a days work.

We leave 'Jack and a couple of the others behind to take care of the bomb and head for home in Skyfires hold.

Prowl and I spend the rest of the day in the med-bay while he gets fixed up, it sounds boring but it's the longest we've spent together for a few days and it feels good to have him in my arms, even if it is while Ratchet works on him.

Once we're done there, it's a quick trip to the rec room to catch up with the others and grab some energon before we turn in, Prowl's on Ratchets orders to stay out of his office until the morning so we actually turn in at the same time and I get to hold him while he drifts into some much needed recharge.

Primus but I love this mech, I know that not everyone gets why, but it's simple really, we are two halves of something whole, he is my restraint and I am his freedom, he is my strength and I am his passion, and so much more but to put it another way he is mine and I am his.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: the characters aren't mine, I'm just playing with them.

Author's notes: Wow, two posts in two days, haven't done that in a while, but to be fair I've had these written for a while so don't get used too it, to be honest this should have gone up yesterday with the other one, but I got distracted by something else and didn't get around to it.

This is the bit that I wanted to put up on Lj, but couldn't, and no one has seen it before so it may well contain the odd mistake.

I'm not going to mark this as complete because I have no idea whether it is or not, it may well get added to, but that is entirely in the hands of my muses, and we all know how fickle they can be.

Lastly I have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who reviews my stories, you make my day every time.

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**Half of Something Whole**

There was a time when I thought love was illogical, I didn't want or need it, Primus I barely understood it, but all that changed the cycle I met Jazz. He fascinated me, intoxicated me and confounded me, usually left me struggling to remember my own name, and gave me the life I have now.

The truth of it is that I'm not much of a mech without him; I'm programmed to be efficient, cautious and meticulous in my duties, in other words everything he's not. Jazz can walk into a room of strangers and leave each one with the feeling that they've just made a new friend, he can talk to anyone from the youngest of sparklings to the oldest of mechs, humans or emissaries from other planets, where as I struggle at social gatherings and keep a professional distance from almost everyone I meet.

If there is one thing that I truly admire about the mech that is currently leaning lazily on a wall a few feet from me it is his adaptability, a lot of us struggled to understand our new planet and it's inhabitants, but not Jazz, he found a home here, Earth suits him and, if I'm not mistaken, it saved him too.

Like most Autobots Jazz wasn't created to be a warrior, that's something he's learned and something he hates. Back on Cybertron he was finding it hard to reconcile himself with what he had become, I feared for him, worried that he would take a pace too far and lose his way, but from the moment we woke up on Earth he seemed refreshed, maybe it was the four million years we spent in stasis, but I believe that it was because he had found his place in the universe.

It took me a long time to understand why he took up arms in the first place, why he didn't let others fight the war for him, but I understand now that he couldn't, standing aside just doesn't enter into his processor, Jazz doesn't back down or quit.

"_I did once, but luckily the mech I bonded didn't give up on me, "_ his thoughts bursts through the bond, and I realise that he is paying more attention to me than I thought he was, _"What's brought this on?"_

"_I'd rather think about you than what we're about to do," _I admit.

He smiles at me and the warmth of his expression is reflected in our bond, he knows that this sort of thing is much more his cup of tea than mine.

"_Wow an Earth expression,"_ his thoughts break into mine again laced with a flicker of amusement, _"either I'm rubbing off on you or the universe is about to end,"_

"_At the moment I would prefer the latter,"_ I reply dryly, and his smile breaks into a grin.

I'd feel better about this whole assignment if I wasn't almost certain that it wasn't a punishment of sorts, the Decepticons have been quiet lately and that's led to a series of pranks at the Ark, now Optimus is a fair mech and he understands that his crew need to amuse themselves, but when a Bobcat was discovered in the command centre Red Alert called for retribution.

"_Would you believe me if I told you that it followed Steeljaw home?"_ Jazz asks.

"_Not for a moment,"_ I respond curtly, but I can't keep my affection for him out of the bond, if I could Jazz probably wouldn't get involved with half of the stunts he does, _"And neither did Prime, which is why you and I are here, the twins are cleaning the med-bay and Hound is on monitor duty with Bluestreak."_

A wave of sympathy flows into the bond, but I'm not quite sure who it's for, the twins are undoubtedly at the mercy of Ratchets somewhat unstable temperament, Hound is probably getting his audios talked off, anything that requires Bluestreak to sit still is bordering on torture, and I'm stuck here because I failed to come up with any solid proof of who was involved, and despite Infernos best efforts our overly efficient security director refused to believe that I was innocent.

It takes a moment for me to realise that Jazz is almost doubled over in silent laughter, _"You? Innocent?"_ he manages to communicate through the bond, _"I must have gone to the wrong quarters last night 'cause there's no way on this earth that the mech I shared a berth with could pass for innocent,"_

"_Jazz, please, we have to be quiet,"_

"_That ain't what you said last night,"_ he teases me, _"it's a good job I suggested getting our quarters sound proofed,"_

His mirth is infectious, both the look on his faceplates and the brief flashes of memory that flow through the bond make me want to laugh too, but our silence is necessary at this point, I struggle to remain composed and feel him using my self-control to calm himself.

In the few minutes that we've been waiting my humour has greatly improved, and I'm ready to do my duty. This is why I need Jazz, he stops me getting caught up in the little things and shows me the whole, glorious picture.

"_Show time,"_ he announces and the curtain before us parts.

"Boys and girls, it is my great pleasure to welcome the Autobots Prowl and Jazz to our assembly, let's give them a big Portland Infant School welcome."

The room seems to erupt into chaos. High-pitched, juvenile cries of glee assault my audios and I almost back-up, but Jazz' voice stops me, _"Show no fear,"_ he instructs casually, _"and no harm will come to you,"_ he adds before he hops off the small stage and moves with that innate grace of his to sit among the children, they swarm around him and barrage him with questions about his life and his fellow Autobots, but it doesn't phase him at all.

He is in his element, he's the centre of attention and putting on a show, and happy. I move tentatively to follow him, I couldn't do this if he wasn't with me, but he is and my beautiful Jazz will guide me.

"_Anyone would think you were enjoying yourself,"_ he sends to me after a few minutes.

"_I am,"_ I admit, _"I'm thinking of ways to get revenge on Prime,"_ it's only half the truth, the children are playing their part too but I'm not about to say that.

"_It's already in hand my mech,"_ Jazz informs me with a flash of that dazzling grin of his, _"He and Red aren't going to know what or who hit them."_

I believe him, Jazz can be as sneaky as anybot when he wants to be and I smile back at him before his attention returns to his audience.

I watch him as he talks and plays with the small humans, I see the confident, carefree mech that I fell in love with all those vorns ago, as well as the commander he has become since then, and I know that although logic cannot explain love I wouldn't be without it.

"_Love you too Prowl,"_


	3. Chapter 3

**Half of Something Whole  
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Twins, an anomaly, a one in a million chance. Most 'bots will go through their whole lives without ever meeting a pair, or giving them a second thought. I am not one of those mechs. I pity them, and envy them, they cannot know the simple pleasure of never being alone, or understand the pain of it.

From the moment we were sparked Sunstreaker and I have shared almost everything, but we're not the same. If we were then any emotion, any reflex could bounce between us until it spun out of control and left us helpless, and in a moment like this when the battle is raging that is simply something we cannot afford to be, so we are a balance to each other, counterweights, and while we are capable of functioning independently, most of the time we'll be by side by side, where we belong.

A flash of golden yellow is all the warning I get, but then it's more than I've ever needed. I catch Sunstreaker by the arms, activate my jet-pack and we're airborne before Prowl can say, "Get your afts down here!". Watch out Decepti-clowns here we come and you don't stand a chance against us.

I'm not arrogant, well... not very, I'll leave that to Sunny, he's so much better at it than I am, but I also know that we're pretty much unstoppable on the battlefield because unlike every other 'bot here we work in perfect unison.

There are other bonded mechs on the field, but Prowl and Jazz each have their own responsibilities, Gestalts are a different ball-game, and Rumble and Frenzy have a lot to learn. I wonder if anyone else has noticed that Sunny and I rarely fight them. We didn't plan it that way, I happen to know for a fact that Frenzy couldn't plan his way out of a storage locker, but we tend to leave them be, call it a twin thing.

Sunstreaker's emotions are like a laser-knife in the back of my processor; defined, cold and razor-sharp. I tend to just let my feelings and thoughts wash over me, but he's more intense and it's his focus that brings me back to the battle.

Frag, Screamer's really got one on him today, but it's no big deal, the worst thing that can happen is Sunny falling off, which does happen from time to time, but he's got a parachute if I can't get to him, and so long as he doesn't land on anyone he'll be fine. He's only done that once, but the look on Ironhides faceplates' was a picture, and I for one won't let either of them forget it any time soon. I'm a mech of simple pleasures.

As we finally manoeuvre Starscream and Thundercracker into a collision course a bolt of laser-fire passes between us, it seems that it's Skywarps turn to scream today, and by the sounds of it calling him unhappy would be the understatement of the vorn. He thought he had us, but he forgot one thing, Bluestreak.

Blue's nearly as close to us as we are to each other, he loves us both, just in very different ways. Sunny is the love of his life and I'm the mech that does his best to keep both of them sane, which isn't always easy, and while he's made it quite clear that he loathes violence he won't hesitate to protect either of us.

We weren't created to be warriors, we both had lives before the war, but eventually we found that we couldn't hide from it and were forced to choose a side. I'm glad we chose this one, within the Autobots we found friendship and trust, things we had never really had before, and while we will always be dependent on each other it's in our friends and lovers that we find our strength.

We jump at the last moment, and make it back down safely. Prowl gives us a withering look as we land, I guess our move wasn't part of his battle-plan. Sunny flashes me a smile, and for what is probably the millionth time I can't help thinking that nothing so beautiful should be so deadly. We can't pick up on individual thoughts like some bonded mechs can (that comes from vorns of renewing the connection and while we have occasionally done that and our link is stronger than it was, we're happy with how things are,) but I still know what he's thinking; we're both firm believers in the idea that in a fight all plans go to the Pit when the first shot is fired, not that we'd ever tell Prowl that.

There's an impressive explosion off to our left, sounds like Jazz has taken care of Megatrons latest 'super-weapon', which leaves us with just one last thing to deal with, unfortunately it's Devastator. Now Sunny and I are not cowards but even we know that fragging off Gestalts on our own is a bad idea, but we're not alone, Jazz, Prowl, Blue and Ratchet are with us, and now we _are_ invincible.

Prowl takes command with Jazz on his flank, we go in hard while Blue and Ratchet cover us, and a few dents and scrapes later it's all over. Megatron calls the retreat, Starscream calls him a coward, we all know the drill by now.

Once they're gone I head over to see if I can help Ratchet with anything. I'm not a medic, never will be, but this is where his work really begins and I'll help all I can, just for an instant he smiles at me and I know that everything is going to be alright, then he points to Hound who needs help getting into Primes trailer for a ride home.

We got off lightly this time, no one's badly hurt, and while I know we won't always be so lucky I also know that it's right to be thankful for what we have.

Sunny's still tense after the fight, he can't just switch off, and he's still ready to slag anything that he might think of as a threat, but so long as I keep calm he'll be fine, just as his emotions fuelled me while we were fighting mine will help him feel safe again now it's over.

The drive home is a cheerful one. Ratchet is driving at my side, Blue and Sunny are racing playfully just ahead of me, and Jazz has got his stereo on so loud that I don't know how he stands it, or more to the point how Prowl stands it, but he does and always will. Life is good.

Back at the Ark we slip back into our routines, we've been doing this for a long time and a little skirmish isn't about to phase us. Sunny and I are on a high after the fight,

(which might sound wrong but we are warriors,) and we let our cheerful moods rebound off each other. It's kinda like being able to share a smile when we're at opposite ends of the Ark.

I don't get to see much of the others until evening draws in and we meet up again in the rec room. Sunny and Blue are already there when I walk in, and almost as if he planned it Jazz breezes in just in time for a round of high-grade. I'm not fooled, Jazz doesn't plan much of anything, but he does have impeccable timing.

After a while Jazz looks up with that goofy grin on his face-plates that reminds all of us that if it wasn't for the war he and Prowl would be up to their optics in sparklings by now, and we don't need to look round to know that Prowl has joined us. He doesn't come to the rec room often, it's too noisy and chaotic for him, but it seems that he's decided to tonight.

It doesn't take me long to figure out why though, Jazz has spent most of the last three days doing the groundwork for today's mission, and I don't think Jazz knows how to recharge when he's anywhere but in Prowls arms. He soon proves me right and sprawls out on the bench with his head in Prowls lap, he's not quite in recharge and throws the occasional comment into our conversation, but he's not far off.

Ratchet finally arrives not long after Jazz makes himself comfortable, I wish I knew when he was coming the same Jazz and Prowl do, but it's still nice to feel those wonderful hands of his on my shoulders as he greets us all. I know that we make an odd match, but I really couldn't care less. Ratchet is the mech who reminded me why I fight, and my life would be flat-out boring without him.

We talk and joke and laugh, it's nothing special, but at the same time it is. The humans have a word, family, and although Sunny and I are the only ones who are actually related, it seems to fit us quite nicely.

Blue has felt like a brother to me pretty much since we first met him, Prowl and Jazz are the closest things to creators Blue has ever known, and I know better than anyone that he's not the only one they're fiercely protective of, but that goes both ways, there's nothing we wouldn't do for them, and while Ratchet maybe the most recent addition to our little group I for one wouldn't be without him.

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A.n; You know I never thought of Sideswipe as being scatter-brained until I started writing this, but he really does seem to bounce around a lot. There will be at least one more part to this but it could be a while before it gets updated as there are other things I want to do first. Thanks for reading, FB.


	4. Chapter 4

A,n: This fits in round about the end of Chapter 2 of For the Promise of Peace, and I'm putting a warning for character death and a possible need for tissues on this part. I didn't think I would ever write this part for the simple reason that Mirage tends to fade into the background on me, he has a special place in my heart because he was the first Transformer I ever owned many years ago, but we managed to thrash this out between us and here it is. Enjoy. FB.

* * *

**Mirage**

Every Autobot hoped that this day would never come; it feels as if the whole Earth is shaking, the roar of battle is deafening, the Decepticons are throwing everything they have at us, and with more than half of our force on the Moonbases there is little we can do, except hope that our allies will arrive in time, and pray that somehow we will live to see the sunset.

As I watch I see one of Autobot City's many towers fall, and my processor flashes back to a moment half a life-time ago. I have to forcefully remind myself that this is not Crystal City all over again, but it feels the same; horrifying.

I have lived on this planet for many years now, and while I will always miss Cybertron I have recently realised that my home is with Wheeljack, and so, because of him I belong on Earth. I am only just starting to understand what this truly means.

It has been less than a week since Wheeljack and I made the decision that would change our lives forever. We thought it was finally safe, that the last battle would be fought on Cybertron, and that neither of us would be involved. Maybe we're both fools, but after so long together it seemed wrong to wait any more, and the last few days have been such a wonder to me that my only regret is that we did not make our decision sooner.

No one knows that we are bonded yet. We intended to tell our friends when we returned to Autobot city, but the attack sirens sounded before we were given the chance, besides Wheeljack wants Jazz to be the first to know, I will give him this indulgence... who am I trying to fool? I would give him anything within my power, and it seems only right as Jazz was the one who helped us get together all those vorns ago.

Fear floods our bond and not all of it is mine. I don't blame him for being scared, but it seems to echo with my own emotions and no good can come of that. I try to soothe him, but the bond is so new to both of us that I'm not sure if it works.

Neither of us are warriors in the true sense of the word. WHeeljack's intellect is wasted in the battlefield, and my talents are better used in more subtle ways, although I have never been completely comfortable with my role as a spy either. That was Jazz's idea, not mine, never mine, all I ever wanted was a peaceful life.

A savage blast rocks the ground I am stood on, debris flies everywhere and all I can do is dive to the floor in an attempt to avoid the worst of it. Panic fills my senses, but I am also aware that some of it isn't mine, it's his, and I am consumed by the need to be with him. This is why Autobots stopped bonding one another, I understand that now, because of the bond I cannot stay at my post, my bond-mate needs me and I am powerless to resist.

I'm running toward him before I can even think, but I don't get far before pain rips through my spark and sends me crashing to my knees. It feels as if the world is caving in on me, instinctively I reach for the bond but it's not there, all that remains is a jagged tear deep within me and I know without question that my beloved Wheeljack is dead.

The battle goes on around me but I don't hear it, my fear is gone because I have nothing left to loose, nothing left to fight for. The Decepticons have finally taken everything from me, my love, my planet, my home, without those things everything else is meaningless.

If I could know who did this I would rip his spark out with my hands just so he could know how it feels, maybe that rage would keep me fighting for a while, but I have been denied it, so I do the only thing I can think of to do, I disappear.

I do not know where I'm going, but as I reach the hills that surround the city I look back. My latest home burns below me but nothing can make me feel worse than I already do, my war is over, my cause died with him.

For a while I stand and watch with morbid fascination, it was the same when Crystal City fell, I stood helpless then too. Then it occurs to me that I have a small task, something that those still fighting will not have time to do because the moments hesitation it would take could easily get them killed.

Turning my face up to the sky I call on Primus himself to guide the unfortunate mechs who have perished to the Matrix, and keep them safe. Alone on the hillside I whisper a prayer for the dying, and then I walk away. No one will find me unless I want to be found, but I can't see that happening. The only Autobot I ever want to see again is already gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Half of Something Whole**

**Ratchet**

One thing that makes me smile every time is when someone starts complaining that their life is too complicated, ha! You want complicated! Try being spark-bonded to a mech like Sideswipe, actually that's impossible, there's no one _like_ Sideswipe. He's unique, thank Primus, I don't think that the universe could survive more than one of him.

The same could be said of many of the 'bots that I have been lucky enough to share my life with. Several of them could be responsible for the travesty before me. Primus, if you're listening, it is my duty as a medic to do no harm but I'm sure that you will understand. Okay, I'm gonna have to simplify this a little because if I try to go through it all in one go I'm gonna fry something. Here goes nothing.

First up (and he'll always come first now) is Sideswipe, the sparkling in mech's armour, the devil-red spawn of chaos himself, the love of my life, go figure! Don't get me wrong, I love my bond-mate but that doesn't mean that there aren't times when I could cheerfully block up all his vents with his brother's polishing cloths, and I today I just might.

Close behind him, as always, is Sunstreaker, the walking mass of contradictions and hair-triggers that make up his brother. He's never been an easy mech to understand, get along with or predict, although I will admit he has mellowed considerably since the end of the war, but this does not mean he is innocent. In my long suffering experience it just means that he's been biding his time.

If I'm including Sunstreaker then I can't discount Bluestreak. Granted it's been a long time since he was the sparkling that I first met, in the last few years he has really matured and is even a creator himself now, but all that counts for nothing because of the mechs who raised him.

Both Jazz and Prowl are more than capable of creating their own brands of bedlam. I've seen Jazz throw rooms into frenzy and is, as far as I know, the only mech who has ever induced a steady stream of curses from Optimus Prime himself while in public.

Prowl has no such record. He has a much more subtle sense of humour and patience that would put any saint to shame, and if anything that makes him even more maddening because no one believes him capable of mischief. Ha! Sneaky little wretch, his tactical background just means that he's even harder to catch out than his pit-spawned lover.

I'll admit that I'm not stranger to having a bit of fun, the incident with Jazz and the holographic seekers still earns me the occasional cube of high-grade in exchange for the story, but I haven't done anything lately, so I am unable to think of what I have done to deserve such abuse as this first thing in the morning.

So that's us. Six of the best, brightest and let's not forget infuriating 'bots you'll ever meet, and when I find out which one of them has stolen my med-bay doors...


End file.
